Some of us are kicking it with the cool kids at Paradise Music Festival and some of us are heading off to OutsideIn and Stereosonic today so excuse us for being a bit rushed in introducing the following tracks. They are no less brilliant or loved, just written with the impending doom of fluoro-clad festival goers in mind.
Frank Ocean- Mesmerise
Oh how we’ve waited for any sign of a new Frank Ocean record since 2012’s brilliant, channelORANGE and this is probably our best indication yet. Overnight Ocean popped online this swirling number, Mesmerise. It’s doesn’t have that crisp production that we’ve become used to, rather borrowing a few of Tame Impala’s techniques, turning it into a psychedelic, under-the-radar number.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/bluntiqradio/frank-ocean-memrise[/soundcloud]
Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment- Surf
Need a bit of a pick me up? Had a rough week? Look no further than this happy-go-lucky tune by Chance The Rapper’s The Social Experiment which is apparently now headed up by Donnie Trumpet. We’re not so sure what that’s all about but this is a gospel-flavoured ray of sunshine. Lets have a Chance The Rapper album soon tho, srlsly.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/donnietrumpet/donnie-trumpet-the-social-experiment-sunday-candy[/soundcloud]
Azealia Banks- Chasing Time (Max Tundra Remix)
So Azealia Banks is running a remix competition and giving away $10k for the person who gives her the best remix. Given the song is already a badbitch of a song, it was always going to be hard to make it sound better but British producer Max Tundra has done a mighty job. He’s induced it with a bit of happiness by pulling apart its RnB backbone and placing it firmly in the world of electronica. Bravo all.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/maxtundra/azealia-banks-chasing-time-max-tundra-remix[/soundcloud]
Lana Del Rey- Brooklyn Baby (Tom Vek Remix)
Another remix just cos’ it’s that time of the year where new music is drying up and people are starting to talk about retrospective lists. Speaking of retrospective lists, Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence was surprisingly brilliant and so was its centrepiece, Brooklyn Baby. Here Tom Vek strips away the reverb and goes heavy on the percussion. It no longer sounds like its been recorded in the darkness of a New York basement. It’s ready for the clubs now. Go forth, be free, Brooklyn Baby.
Hannah Diamond- Every Night
We just got our Saturday night jam. Hannah Diamond is the poster girl for PC Music, really and this song is her most dance-ready yet. It’s in the lane of QT’s, Hey QT- a glitzy, saccharine tune with vocals detached from any sort of human presence. It goes to show that a killer pop-melody goes along way. Pop has always been best wrapped in plastic (thanks Aqua) and this is proof of that.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/pcmus/every-night[/soundcloud]
Mark Ronson- Feel Right (Feat. Mystikal)
After hearing this and the mighty Uptown Funk, it’s very clear that Ronson is going all out with the brass on his latest solo record. This one feature New Orleans rapper Mystikal and sounds nothing like anything that’s come out of Britain. It does, however, sound alot like James Brown which was probably intentional.
BANKS- Beggin For Thread (UV boi فوق بنفسجي Remix)
UV Boi is our main boi since we spent last weekend snapchatting with him. His remix of BANKS’, Begging For Thread which dropped this week (hence why it’s in this article) is a blistering, post-trap rework that keeps intact her vocals melodies, rather chosing to have fun with the instrumental. And he has so much fun.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/uvboi/banks-beggin-for-thread-uv-boi[/soundcloud]
Young Father- Soon Come Soon
The internet is a funny thing isn’t it. Young Father won the prestigious Mercury Prize this year, yet when they drop a new single we don’t hear about it for two days. Maybe that’s our fault but at this stage we’d rather blame it on the www. than personal fault. The single, Soon Come Soon, is very worthy of attention. It’s an emotionally-charged number that swaps between singing and rapping. The singing parts are quite affecting, with the layering giving them a choral-effect. This could actually be on a soundtrack for the Lion King. There’d be so many tears.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/bigdadasound/young-fathers-soon-come-soon-3[/soundcloud]
St. Vincent- Pieta & Sparrow
Annie Clarke has been dropping these two live for a while now but she’s finally decided to make them available to us virtual folks online. It’s a tantalising taste of what we have to look forward to when she comes out to Australia for Laneway Festival next year. Pieta, is an elastic, floating tune while Sparrow is a dark, burrowing track that lifts for a holy chorus.
Turtle- Lavendar
I often find my attention wanes on ambient tracks but not this. Oh definitely not on this one. Glasgow producer Turtle is about to drop his Colours EP and Lavendar is the first song from it. It’s ambient in every sense of the word but it has a cinematic quality to it thanks to the strings that holds your attention and your heartstrings. Then he adds in another genre with a house-like vocal sample. My mum always said you can mix as many ingredients as you like as long as they all like each other, once there is one wrong element the whole thing is stuffed. Well Turtle’s mum, Mrs. Turtle, was obviously also very wise.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/weareturtle/lavender[/soundcloud]
